EU sets emmission target for members

The EU yesterday unveiled national targets for cutting greenhouse gases by 2030, placing the burden on richer northern countries including exit-bound Britain to help meet the bloc's UN goal.

The plans for the 28 EU member states put the onus on Sweden, Luxembourg, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Britain, France and Austria as the bloc seeks to meet its commitment to cut emissions by 40 percent over 1990 levels.

The EU set the 2030 target as its overall pledge in the UN's climate agreement, reached in Paris last December.

Under the targets, which are based on economic growth, powerhouse Germany and tiny Luxembourg must cut emissions by 40 percent over 2005 levels, while Finland and Denmark must cut emissions by 39 percent.

Britain and France are asked to cut emissions by 37 percent while Netherlands and Austria should cut by 36 percent.

In contrast, Bulgaria, the poorest state in the bloc, was given an emissions reductions target of zero percent, while Romania, Latvia, Croatia, Poland, Hungary and Lithuania are all set below 10 percent.